The final race of the 2017 British Swimming Championships came intensely down to the wire, with reigning world champion James Guy and newly-minted 100m freestyle British national record holder Duncan Scott dueling it out in the men’s 200m freestyle. Guy ultimately won the affair, but Scott led at the 100m, getting the fans in Sheffield up on their feet to watch the men charge to the wall in the name of qualification for the 2017 World Championships.

Watch the race unfold in the video below, courtesy of British Swimming.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

An enormously intense race ensued between Olympic teammates James Guyand Duncan Scott in this men’s 200m freestyle final, with the result coming down to the finish, as fans hoped. Bath’s Guy came out on top with a super solid time of 1:45.55, while Stirling’s Scott fired off a mega personal best of 1:45.80 for silver.

Scott led at the 100m mark in 51.17, but Guy tapped into another gear to keep the Scot from pulling ahead. Separated by a couple of lanes in the pool, the two men kept each other in check until the final 15m when they kept their heads down and charged to the wall, cranking out stroke after stroke for the win. For Guy, this result crushes his most recent 1:47.11 clocked at the Arena Pro Swim in Indianapolis, while Scott’s mark slashes almost a second and a half off of his previous personal best of 1:47.28. The men now sit 3rd and 4th in the world rankings.

For Guy, this marks his 4th gold at these championships, having collected the top prize in the 100m/200m butterfly races, as well as the 400m freestyle on night one. Scott also made a haul here in Sheffield, adding this silver to his 200m butterfly bronze, 200m IM bronze and stunning 100m freestyle gold in a new British record. The 19-year-old Scott’s time tonight in the 200m checks in as a new Scottish national record.

Calum Jarvis finished in the 4th fastest time of his career tonight, clocking a 1:47.02, while Sheffield’s own Nicholas Grainger earned 4th and potential relay placement with a time of 1:47.28.

About Loretta Race

Loretta grew up outside Toledo, OH, where she swam age group and high school. Graduating from Xavier University, she stayed in the Cincinnati, OH area and currently resides just outside the city in Northern KY. Loretta got back into the sport of swimming via Masters and now competes and is …